Pages

Fueled by more than $100,000 of his own money and the backing of Congressman Danny Davis (D-Chicago), Richard Boykin won the hotly contested race for the Cook County Board's Democratic nomination in the 1st District. We provide a closer look at the race and Boykin's victory.

Jhatayn “Jay” Travis, who is challenging incumbent State Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago) in the 26th District Democratic race, blasted her opponent Monday for "questionable election tactics." Mitchell's campaign called Travis' comments "desperate and superfluous." Progress Illinois details the latest scuffle kicking up dirt in the race on the eve of the primary election.

The Chicago City Council last week agreed to allocate up to $55 million in tax increment financing (TIF) funds for the development of a new Marriott hotel adjacent to the McCormick Place convention center. Progress Illinois details some of what proponents and opponents have to say about the project.

With less than a week until the March primary election, eyes are peeled on the 39th District state representative race that pits politically-connected incumbent State Rep. Maria "Toni" Berrios (D-Chicago) against community organizer and former Huffington Post reporter Will Guzzardi. Progress Illinois takes a look at the contest, which has been called possibly the "most important state legislative race in Illinois in the primary."

Candidates running in the crowded West Side Democratic primary race for Cook County commissioner had a chance to make their pitch to voters at a candidate forum Wednesday night. Progress Illinois provides some of the highlights from the event.

Jhatayn “Jay” Travis, who is challenging incumbent State Rep. Christian Mitchell in the 26th District Democratic primary, unveiled her education platform Wednesday morning flanked by public school parents, teachers and Chicago residents.

The group gathered in front of the now empty John Fiske Elementary school, located in Chicago’s West Woodlawn neighborhood. The school is one of 50 Chicago public schools that were shuttered last year.

“When schools close, the children in our neighborhoods lose,” said Travis, former executive director of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization. “Our communities lose viable institutions. We can no longer allow school closings to go forward.”

About 20 Action Now members and education organizers protested outside the By The Hand Club For Kids' location on the West Side last week to push back against the non-profit's involvement with plans for a new charter school in Chicago's Austin neighborhood.

The charter school operator Chicago Education Partnership (CEP) won conditional approval by the city's board of education to open a new Austin elementary campus in 2015. The effort to open the new charter is a partnership between CEP and By The Hand, which operates a "Christ-centered" after school program in Austin at 415 N. Laramie Ave.

CEP's design team includes By The Hand leaders, explained Dwayne Truss, an Austin resident with the Raise Your Hand education coalition. And By The Hand's Executive Director Donnita Travis is CEP's board chairperson.

"She's leading both of the organizations," said Action Now spokeswoman Aileen Kelleher. "I would say there's a conflict of interest there."

At its monthly meeting Wednesday, the Chicago Board of Education approved seven new charter schools scheduled to open over the next two years. Also on Wednesday, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis and Chicago Board of Education President David Vitale said they might "join hands" to push back against the Illinois State Charter School Commission.